Particle cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

Particle cleaning means comprising a particle receiver, a first chamber having an input opening coupled to the particle receiver, a high velocity air stream directed into the first chamber adjacent the input opening for projecting particles into the first chamber for agitated movement under the influence of the air stream, a second chamber coupled to the first chamber through an opening spaced from the input opening, a baffle between the openings to force the particles in a circuitous path through the first chamber, a first suction means coupled to the first chamber and an opposed relation to the air stream and a discharge opening in the lower end of the second chamber, and second suction means coupled to the second chamber and an opposed relation to the second opening and the discharge opening.

United States Patent 1151 3,65,651 Gruber [451 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] PARTICLE CLEANING APPARATUS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Clarence R. Gruber, 9529 W. Ruby 'Pl1,703 8/1956 Germany ..209/ 138 St., M1lwaukee,W1s. 53225 172,223 2/1952 Austria .,209/474 22 F1 d: Dec. 1 548,019 3/1930 Germany ..209/138 N 8.8 12 7 907,145 7/1953 Germany ..209/134 Primary Examiner-Frank W. Lutter 52 US. Cl. ..209/133, 209/250, 209/474 jifgiiff ffeffifi' gfi Halper [51] Int. Cl. ..B07b 3/00 [58] Field of Search ..209/250, 21, 22, 28, 29, 133, [57] ABSTRACT Patrtlcle cleaning means comprising a particle recelver, 56 a lrst chamber having an input opening coupled to 1 References cued she pa'ticle regent er, a high velocity air stream UNITED STATES PATENTS irecte into t e irst chamber adjacent the input 1 opening for projecting particles into the first chamber 1,356,777 10/1920 Mettler ..209/ 136 for agitated movement under the influence of the air 2,028,179 1/ 1936 Akins ..209/486 X stream, a second chamber coupled to the first 3,446,355 5/1969 Boucraut ..209/474 Chamber through an opening spaced from the input 176,885 5/1876 Palmer ..209/29 p g a baffle between the openings I9 force the 287,496 10/1883 Baur ..209/138 particles a circuitous p thwugh the first 849,225 4/1907 Gans ..209/250x Chamber, a first Suction means coupled the first 987,460 3/1911 Meldman ..209 28 amber and stream 1,193,274 8/1916 Lenders ..209/250x and a diwharge Opening in the lower end of the 1,395,382 11/1921 Biggerstaff ..209/250 Second chamber and Second Suction means wupled to the second chamber and an opposed relation to the 1,593,729 7/1926 Stebblns ..209/29 1,661,299 3/1928 Peron ..209/250 second openmg and the dscharge Openmg' 2,874,840 2/ 1959 Simpson ..209/250 3 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures PKTENFED IB Z I972 3.685.651

Fl 6 2 QINVENTOR,

Clarence R. Gruber By KMLUW Attorney PARTICLE CLEANING APPARATUS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The separation of dust and other foreign matter from particulate material has long been a problem in the food industry and particularly where such particles are to be ground or subdivided into smaller particles or powder. Prior art attempts to solve this problem generally include the separation of the lighter dust particles from the granular material by agitating the particles on an inclined wire mesh through which an air stream may be projected to carry the dust particles away. Such prior art apparatus is not wholly satisfactory because they tended to remove only the free or more loosely held dust particles. In addition, certain prior art devices employed expensive vibrating apparatus for oscillating the wire mesh in order to agitate the particles being cleaned.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved particle cleaning device.

Another objection of the invention is to provide a particle cleaning device which more efiectively removes dust and foreign matter.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a particle cleaning device which produces violent particle agitation and promotes separation of dust and foreign material from the product.

A further object of the invention is to provide an efficient and economical particle cleaning device wherein oscillation producing means is not required.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description thereof taken with the accompanying drawmg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the particle cleaning device according to the instant invention; and

FIG. 2 is a view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The particle cleaning device according to the invention is shown in the drawing to include a housing having a pair of generally vertical side walls 11 and 12 and generally inclined the top and bottom walls 14 and 15 respectively. The walls 11 and 12, 14 and 15 may be joined in any suitable manner, such as by welding, and may be shaped as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to form a particle receiving hopper 16 at the elevated end of the assembly as shown in FIG. 1. A pair of battle walls 18 and 19 are suitably affixed in spaced relation on, and extend generally downwardly from, the upper wall 14 and between the side walls 11 and 12. The baffle walls 18 and 19 are generally convergent at their lower ends and serve to divide the housing into a particle receiving chamber 21 coupled to the lower end of the hopper 16, a first chamber 22 and a second chamber 23.

Baffle wall 19 forms an oblique angle with the top wall 14 and its terminal end is spaced from the lower wall 15 to form an elongate, generally rectangular opening 25 between the receiving chamber 21 and the first chamber 22. Baffle wall 18 is disposed at a relatively larger angle with the upper wall 14 and its terminal end is also spaced from the lower wall 15 to form a generally rectangular opening 26 between the chambers 22 and 23.

An elongate opening 28 is formed in the lower wall 15 and opens into the first chamber 22 just inwardly of the intake opening 25. A screen 30 covers the opening 28 and is held in position by an elongate hood 31 suitably afiixed over the opening 28 and generally coextensive therewith. A conduit 32 is connected to a couplind 33 formed on the hood 31 and to a high pressure source of any suitable gas, such as air (not shown).

A third bafi'le wall 34 is suitably affixed to and extends upwardly from the lower wall 15 adjacent the opening 29 and between the side walls 11 and 12. The bafile wall 34 is inclined toward the opening 29 and terminates thereabove and at a point spaced generally horizontally from the lower end of baffle wall 19. This forms a generally rectangular gap 35 between the ends of baffle walls 19 and 34 and disposed generally vertically above the gas input opening 29.

A generally rectangular opening 36 is formed in the top wall 14 and is generally coextensive with the upper end of thevchamber 22. A fine screen 37 covers the opening 36 and is held in position by a generally conical hood 38 which is suitably secured to the top wall 14 and is generally coextensive with the opening 36. The upper end of the hood 38 terminates in a conduit 39 which is connected to a suitable suction device such as a vacuum pump (not shown) through a filter (not shown). It can thus be seen that the chamber 22 is generally trapezoidal in vertical section parallel to the plane of FIG. l with its large base defined by the screen 37 and its small base defined by the lower ends of the baffle walls 18 and 19.

The chamber 23 is defined by the baffle wall 18, short sections of the upper and lower walls 14 and 15 and a screen 40 which forms an end wall of the housing. Screen 40 is held in position by a hood 41 suitably secured to the housing and generally coextensive with the screen 40. Hood 41 is also connected to a suitable vacuum source (not shown) such as a vacuum pump and through a filter (not shown). A discharge opening is formed in the lower end of chamber 23 and is connected to a collecting conduit 42 which discharges cleaned product into a container (not shown) disposed therebelow.

In operation, the high premure air source (not shown) will be actuated to deliver air at a high velocity through opening 29 and the vacuum sources will be activated to produce a suction through screens 37 and 40. The material to be cleaned, such as spices, seasons, grain, cocoa or coffee beans, or any similar particulate material, will be charged through hopper 16 into the particle receiving chamber 24. A quantity of the material will flow onto screen 25 whereby they will be displaced rapidly in an upward direction toward the screen 37. It will be appreciated that the inclination of the baffle 34 will tend to direct the high velocity air stream upwardly and to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 and that the particles will tend to follow this path. The further movement of the particles 45 in the chamber 22 will generally follow a path defined by the wall 19, the screen 37, the wall 18 and downwardly through the opening 26. The high velocity air stream flowing through the gap 35 between the ends of baffles 19 and 34 will prevent the particles 45 from falling back onto the screen 29. The particles 45 passing rapidly through the gap 26 will tend to flow generally upwardly and to the left and against the screen 40 and then fall downwardly through the discharge conduit 42.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the high velocity air stream passing upwardly through the screen 30 and the gap 35 between the ends of the baffles 19 and 34 will tend to separate dust and other foreign matter from the particles 45 and carry these particles upwardly through screen 37 and to the filter (not shown) by the action of the vacuum. In addition, the air stream will cause the particles 45 to be displaced rapidly upward at a high velocity causing them to impinge one against another as well as against the screen 37 and the bafile walls 18 and 19 whereby dust and other foreign particles adhering to their surfaces will be dislodged and carried through the screen 37 under the action of the air stream and the vacuum. In addition, the rapid movement of the particles through the gap 16 into the chamber 23 and against screen 40 will cause a second cleaning action whereby any remaining particles of dust and other foreign material will be carried through the suction hood 41.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the configuration of the particle cleaning device according to the foregoing description provides a highly efficient and economical means for cleaning particulate material.

While only a single embodiment of the instant invention is shown and described, it is not intended to be limited thereby, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A particle cleaning device comprising an enclosure having top, bottom, and side walls forming a chamber,

an input opening formed in said side wall adjacent one end of said chamber for receiving the particles to be cleaned,

a second opening formed in said enclosure adjacent the other end of said chamber and spaced from the input opening for discharging the particles from said chamber,

said input and second opening being formed in said side walls adjacent the lower end of said enclosure,

baffle means disposed between said input and second openings and extending upwardly from the bottom wall of said enclosure the upper end of said baffle means being spaced from the top wall of said enclosure,

said chamber being inclined downwardly from said input opening to said second opening, said side walls diverging outwardly from their lower ends to their upper ends,

high pressure fluid input means coupled to said enclosure and opening into the lower end of said chamber adjacent to said input opening and between said input opening and said bafile means for projecting said particles upwardly at high velocity into said chamber for agitated movement around said bafile means and in a circuitous path between said input and second openings for discharging from said second opening,

and suction means opening into the top wall of said enclosure and in spaced relation to said high pressure input means and said input opening for removing from said chamber dust and foreign matter separated from said particles.

2. The particle cleaning device set forth in claim 1 and including a second enclosure forming a second chamber and having an opening coupled to the discharge opening for receiving said particles and suction means coupled to said second chamber in spaced relation to said discharge opening.

3. The particle cleaning device set forth in claim 2 and including means forming a storage chamber coupled to the input opening and adapted to receive the particles to be cleaned, said storage means being elevated relative to said input opening wherein said particles will flow by gravity into said first chamber. 

1. A particle cleaning device comprising an enclosure having top, bottom, and side walls forming a chamber, an input opening formed in said side wall adjacent one end of said chamber for receiving the particles to be cleaned, a second opening formed in said enclosure adjacent the other end of said chamber and spaced from the input opening for discharging the particles from said chamber, said input and second opening being formed in said side walls adjacent the lower end of said enclosure, baffle means disposed between said input and second openings and extending upwardly from the bottom wall of said enclosure the upper end of said baffle means being spaced from the top wall of said enclosure, said chamber being inclined downwardly from said input opening to said second opening, said side walls diverging outwardly from their lower ends to their upper ends, high pressure fluid input means coupled to said enclosure and opening into the lower end of said chamber adjacent to said input opening and between said input opening and said baffle means for projecting said particles upwardly at high velocity into said chamber for agitated movement around said baffle means and in a circuitous path between said input and second openings for discharging from said second opening, and suction means opening into the top wall of said enclosure and in spaced relation to said high pressure input means and said input opening for removing from said chamber dust and foreign matter separated from said particles.
 2. The particle cleaning device set forth in claim 1 and including a second enclosure forming a second chamber and having an opening coupled to the discharge opening for receiving said particles and suction means coupled to said second chamber in spaced relation to said discharge opening.
 3. The particle cleaning device set forth in claim 2 and including means forming a storage chamber coupled to the input opening and adapted to receive the particles to be cleaned, said storage means being elevated relative to said input opening wherein said particles will flow by gravity into said first chamber. 